Combined tube expander and beading tool



J. l. SMITH.

COMBINED TUBE EXPANDER AND BEADlNG TOOLI nPPLlcATloN FILED DEC-20. 1921.

l'gsm mentada July 25,1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

INVENTOR Z125 Jmia.

Y J. 1. SMITH. COMBINED TUBE EXPANDER AND BEADING TOOL.

APPL'YCATION FILED DEC 20, 192i.

Patented July 25,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR JJ: WM

JOHN JAMESSMITH, 0I` WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA.

COMBINED TUBE EXPANDER AND HEADING TOOL.

ineen/i5.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1922.

Application led December 20, 1921. Serial No. 523,794.

To all 'w 710m if may concer/n Be it knovv'n' that I, JOHN Jannes SMITH., at present residing` in the city of l/Vinnipeg, Province ol Manitoba, Dominion ot Canada, have invented a new and useful Combined Tube Expander and Beading Tool, of which the following is a specification. n

This invention has reference to that type of implements or tools having provision tor expanding boilerl tubes and for fixing the end of the tube to a close tit against the tube sheet or plate, and primarily my said in vention has for its purpose to provide a tool of the general character stated of a compact and relatively economical construction, in which the parts are designed for producing and adapted to produce steam and Water tight joints Where tubes and ilues are secured to the tube sheets of steam boilers as Well as Hanging or beading the projecting ends oil the said tubes and lues so they may be readily 'formed to a snug iit against the tube sheets.

`leretoiore it has been a general practice to employ a number of diiferent tools for i'first eii'ectingthe expansion of the tube to make the desired tight it Wherevit passes through the tube sheet and tor then turning back or flaring the projected end oi' the expanded tube to produce the desired turned back or bead portion to give the required finish to the tube and sheet connection.

Another and essential feature oli my invention is the provision of an implement or tool ot the character stated in which is in eluded a main or body portion adapted for removably and adjustably receiving and Aoperatively supporting specially designed members, each of Which has one of' its ends shaped to form the bead required on the tube or Hue end and the other end suitably designed for cooperating with an expanding element that is adjustably mounted Within the 'main or body portion, the several specially designed members being4 independently supported and sustained Within the said main or body portion or frame 'for being engaged by the expanding element (a hammer impelled mandrel), the operation of which `governs the set of the said severally specially designed members for doing the Work for Which they are provided.

Hereto'fore it has generally been the practice to employ three different tools for the performance of' the following important Work, namely: sectional expanders, tube rollers and beading devices, all of `which require separate operations.

A common type oit sectional expander, vknown to the trade as a Prosser sectional expander, yis :for the purpose of developing a shoulder in `the tube or liue to produce a joint from the pressure `side of the tube sheet ol the boiler.

rFube rollers in general use do not meet the desired requirements since in effecting the oints oi" the tube in the tube sheets, they are more or less destructive to the tube sheets, the tubes and the lines, because the tube hQles become enlarged due to frequent rolling to keep them tight in service, as Well as effecting a reduction in the walls ofthe tubes or lues, which in a short time leaves them so thin vas to necessitate their removal, together with the tubesheet, earlier than if more desirable tools were available.

Beading tools now in general use for beading and caulking tubes and lines, While not in themselves harmful for the Work they are designed to do, the control of the angle at which such tool is held, to get good or bad Work, repeatedly results in poor Werlimanship, as it is possible to caull the tube away from the joint rather than close up .to it.

l lt is, therefore, most desirable to provide means whereby the beading devices Will be automatically controlled in a set position to do good Work, as Well as having a plurality of beading devices or tools in operation at the same time to economize in production, rather than having an individual header that is subject to wrong control and separate operation.

Myk invention, therefore, also has for its purpose to provide a tube expanding and beading tool or implement tree from the objections incident in the use oi' tube rolling expanders and the common types or beading tools noiv generally employed in the mechanical trades, for applyingthe tubes or iiues to the tube sheets ot steam boilers.

l accomplish the desired results in an efficient` and economical `manner by the peculiar mechanical assemblageo't a plurality oi speciallydesigned members, all fully eX- plained in the following detailed description, specifically brought out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a longitudinal section of my construction of combined'tube flaring and `looking in the direction of the arrow.

Figure is a side elevation of my im* proved tube expanding and beading implement. v

Figure 4 is an end elevation thereof, the mandrel being shown in cross section.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the main body or frame portion 'of the implement.

Figure 6 is a similar view of the cage member hereinafter specifically mentioned.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the range adjuster.

Figure 8 is a. perspective view of the power transmitting mandrel.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of one of the combined beading `and expanding workin'O members hereinafter mentioned.

teferring now t'o the details of construction of my invention, l designates the body or main portion of my tube expanding and beading implement and the said main portion lconstitutes a receiver for a guard or cage 2 which includes a head portion 2O that tits within the said body portion l 'and is hxedly attached to the 'annular rim thereof, to turn therewith,` by a 'series of screws 6 that pass through the said rim and engage `the head lportion 20, as is clearly shown in Figures l and 4 of the drawings.

Thebody portion l, as is clearly shown in Figure i, is cup-shaped and its end walllhas an axial opening l0 for the reception vof the annxillarly enlarged portion '30 ofthe power "transmitting mandrel 3, one end of which is provided with a head 31 having a concairoroiivexed external face 32 between its enlarged or shouldered end 33 and its round extremity as is clearly shown in Figures lA and S, the reasonfor which will presently appear. The outer end of the mandrel is shaped to conform to whatever Vpower may be available vfor operating it. .ln the present sli'owing, the outer end of the mandrel is adapted to connect with a pneumatic hammer (not shown), the latter being the most convenient means for applying the required power to the mandrel.

The `cage 2 is formed with an "extension '2:3 of reduced diameter and in the said reduced extension and the head rportion 2O thereot, that is'fixedly attached to the main body portion 1l, the said member 2 is formed witl'i 'a series of radial chambers 26 which extend from a central bore 27 out through the periphery of 'the said member 2, the latter by reason of its peculiar shape constituting u cage for the reception of the working members 4 that operate `to expand `the tube and turn or bead the outer end of the said tube that projects through the tube sheet, as is best shown in Figure 1.- Y

The outer end of the extension 25 is formed with anen'larged bore 28 of such diameter as to snugly receive therein, what is hereinafter termed theV range adjuster, whicha in the construction shown, is in the nature ofa plug 7 that is provided with a series of longitudinally disposed transverse apertures 70, any one of which is adapted, Iby `proper adjustment of the plug 7, for

registering with apertures 29 in the said in maintaining the specially designed worinv ing members 4 tive work.

The number of specially designed members 4 and the chambers in the cage to receive them is governed by the sizes of the tubes 'or 'dues tobe operated on.

Each working member '4, one of which is shown in detail in Figure 9, includes an at a proper vangle for effecouter straight face hereinafter termed ythe tube spreading surface 41, the inner end of which is inwardly inclined, as at 42,fto `prevent a sharp division line between `the inner ends of the membersaand the 'adjacent extended portion of the cage and the outer end'of each of the members 4 has a `curved `best shown in Figure "l, by reference to which it will be seen the portion 44 of the "bearing heel which merges with the 'anlgled or'lradia'lfly projected member 44, as is 'f members 4-are provided freedom of expan j sion by reason of the `clearance formed by the 'counterbore in the overhanging rim` l0 of the cup-shaped main frame or housing which is fi'Xedly attached to and turns with the working tools carrying cage 2 Zas rot'ative power is applied to the mandrel in the usual way.

As is clearly shown inFigure l, the coneavoconvexed shape of the mandrel head provides 'a solid seat for engaging the heel portions 43 'ofthe several working members 4 and by reason of su'ch connection of 'the parts', as'the mandrel isjdriven inwardly in the direction of itslength', by ahammer worl'zed eitl'i'er f manually "for pneumat-ically, all of the working members will be simultaneously held under pressure from within the cage, and in the direction of their length, and thereby hold their spreading faces 41 in close engagement with the internal face of the tube to be spread, and at a number of different places, to thereby expand the iue or tube at a number of differ-v that constitutes an outer continuation of the spreading surface 4l, it being apparent, by referring to Figure l, that as the reduced Vshank of the tube is fed into the tool,

the surfaces 46 andthe lips 45 of the mem bers 4 operate to turn back the outer rim edge of the tube being worked on and which projects through the tube sheet, and thereby form a bead on the tube end that is crowded fluid tight against the outer kface of the saidtube sheet, as shown.

By having a number of working members, each with an independent tube spreading surface, a plurality of combined expanding and beading tools is provided, such provision eectingeconomy in production, when compared with the use of an individual tool that is subject to wrong con- .trol and separate operation, it being understood that in my` construction of combined tube expanding and beading tool means is always present for holding all of the working members 4 in uniform relation with respect to the turning cage and the internal tube surface vbeing worked when the said members 4 are engaged by the specially designed mandrel which transmits l power, from a pneumatic hammer or otherwise, to the said expanding and beading members.

The range of the tool or implement is so regulated that more than one size of tube or flue may be conveniently expanded and beaded.

The shoulder 33 developed at the base of the mandrel head 31 forms a stop in connection with the body portion l to prevent the mandrel falling out of its operative position in the tool. The shank portion 30 of the said mandrel permits the cage to adjust itself to its position next to the shoulder 33.

From the foregoing taken in connection with the drawings, the complete construction, the manner of operation and the advantages of my tube expanding and beading tool will be readily apparent to those familiar with the work of applying tubes and ilues to the flue sheets of steam boilers.

The construction of the tool is such that the weight thereof and the power transmitting mandrel are such that one man can readily handle it and a pneumatic hammer when one is used in connection with the mandrel, since as the mandrel is a part of the tool and is kept in position by the body or guard portion, the operator is enabled to conveniently rotate the tool on the mandrel with one hand as with the other hand he controls the pneumatic hammer or other power for feeding the mandrel inwardly.

It is obvious that while the hollow body 1,illustrated in detail in Figure 5 and operativelyapplied as in Figure l, prevents the mandrel falling out of its operative position, it also serves to prevent the working members from falling apart from the mandrel when applying the tool to the operative position-onto the end of the tube to be worked.

lVhat I claim is:

l. In a combined tube expanding and beading tool, a cup-shaped body having an axial opening, a cage including a tubular shank insertable into the tube end to be worked, the said cage having a plurality of radially extended chambers that open from elements and adapted, as it is being forced vlengthwise into the bodyportion and the cage tof hold -the several expanding and beading elements in working engagement vwith the tool, andfmeans mounted upon and cooperative with the cage for regulating the set` ofthe said .expanding and beading elements to suit the diameter of the tube being worked.

2. The combination in a tube expanding and bending tool, of a plurality of independent working members, an expanding mandrel and an adjuster independent of and separated from the mandrel, for controlling the range of radial projection of the working surfaces of each of the said members.

3. The combination in a tube expander and bending tool, of a plurality of independent working members, an expanding mandrel, an adjuster independent of and separated from the mandrel, for controlling the range of radial project-ion of the working surfaces of each of the said members, and means for securing the adjuster to its set positions relatively to the working members.

4. The combination in a tool of the character described; a cup-shaped body, a cage comprising a tubular shank and an annularly enlarged guard that fits within and is adapted for being ixedly attached to the annular rim of the cup-shaped body adjacent its disk portion, the said disk portion having an axial aperture in alignment with the bore of the cage, the cage having a plurality of radial chambers that extend from the bore throughthe periphery thereeil, a plurality fot' "Working fineinfbe-il's, one of such members fitting within :each ofthe said radi-'al -ehax'nbers in the cage, each working member including a tubesprea'di'ng surface that terminates the outer cend in :tube beading port-ion, a power transmitting 'inan- #di-el endwise movable 'through `the axial -aperture in the cupshaped body, thesa'd mandrel including a head portion 'that engages the inner edge `of all of the working membersand *a member inthe inner end of the cage shank that constitutes Ia "bearing for the inner ends of all of the said working members.

45. The combination in a toolv of the character described; a cup-shaped body, a cage comprising fa tubular shank and yan annu larly enlarged gua-rd that lits Within and is adapted tor being fixedly "attachedto the fannular rim of the cup-'shaped body adjacent itszdislr portion, the said disk portion having an laxial aperture in valignmentwith the bore 'or' the cage, Ithe 'cage vhaving a pluraflity 'or radial chambers 'that extend from the bore through the periphery thereoha "plurality of working members, one of such *members :fitting within each 'of th'e said radial chambers in the Cage, each working i'nember including a 'tube 'spreading surface 'that terminates a'tfthe outer *end in a `tube beading portion, 'a power :transmitting 'mandrel endwise `movable through the 'axial aperture Vin the cup-shaped body, the said mandrel including a head 'portion that fenmembers, a member in the inner end of the cage shank that constitutes a bearing :tor

y"the inner ends of all 'of [the said working "an expanding mandrel -thesaid'cage including a lluib-lrlre'innerV end and an enlargeddlameter head portion at the `outerend, :the bodyof the cage between the head Iportion and the n.ilb end having radial chamber that extends 7from the bore off the cage throught-he periphery thereof, a tube expanding yand beading element lwithin the radial chamber, fz-neans for feeding the cage inwardly and 't-be working element outwardly against the inner wall'ofthe oute1`^end`of the :tube being worked Yand the'r means mounted 'upon and coopetrve with the cage .for setting the `working element radially relatively to fthe cagewhereby to adapt the 7tool afor working' on t'tubes ioif different diameters.

JOHN JAMES SMITH. 

